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Surprising Central Texas city boasts No. 1 U.S. housing market for first-time buyers, plus more top stories

This charming Killeen home is on the market for $249,500 - less than the median home price there.

Photo courtesy of Estately.com

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. From the business of young Millennials to the personal lives of sports legends, here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Surprising Central Texas city boasts No. 1 U.S. housing market for first-time buyers. Killeen provides the three qualities potential homeowners prioritize the most: affordability, low competition, and growth potential.

2. Meet the groundbreaking Austinites who made Forbes' first local '30 Under 30' list. In a first for the publication, Forbes has compiled a "30 Under 30 Local" list highlighting Austin's most innovative entrepreneurs and trailblazers.

3. Demolition moves forward after 15-year redevelopment stall in historic Austin neighborhood. An old Home Depot lot had been sitting vacant in North Austin for more than 10 years...until Monday.

4. Netflix's No. 1 documentary tackles the rise and fall of Texas A&M football idol Johnny Manziel. Untold: Johnny Football was released August 8 and within 24 hours, trended as Netflix’s No. 1 movie in the United States.

5. Lake Travis home of Basketball Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich hits the market at $3 million. Arches appear over the entrance, in many of the windows, in doorways, in shelving, and even on both ends of the pool.

Hot headlines

Austin neighbor's chart-topping boom leads the week's most-read headlines

City of Georgetown, Texas Facebook

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Editor's note: The word of the week in Austin is growth. Whether it's fast-growing cities, the city's highly anticipated inclusion in the Michelin Guide, or an updated H-E-B ready to re-anchor the neighborhood, things are always reshaping and Austinites are keeping up online. Here are our most-read stories over the past week. Looking for things to do this weekend? Our top picks are here.

1. Austin neighbor saw 4th biggest population boom in U.S. for 2023.The Austin-area suburb of Georgetown has proven it's not just a laid back destination for tourists, but one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.

2. Michelin Guide plates up first Texas picks, with 7 stars in Austin.The first Michelin Guide in Texas has finally made its picks known. At a black-tie event in Houston on November 11, the guide announced that 47 Austin restaurants have won recognition.

3. New South Congress H-E-B is finally opening at the end of 2024. After roughly two years of construction, H-E-B announced its 145,000-square-foot building on South Congress Avenue and East Oltorf Street will open to shoppers starting December 4.

4. Bubbly Austin brunch spot Irene's closing after 8 years. Despite the ever-increasing number of Austin brunches, the scene is losing a classic. Irene's on West 6th Street announced November 12 that it will be closing at the end of its lease this month.

Irene's Austin cocktail One of Austin's most popular brunch spots is throwing in the towel when its lease ends.Irene's/Instagram

5. $15.2 million Austin sanctuary is in the middle of a nature conservancy. The Sanctuary on Barton Creek is a 24-acre estate completely surrounded by a 4,100-acre nature conservancy to provide a peaceful and private escape from city life.